Murray sentenced to 42 years in prison

HILLSDALE — Prior to reaching his 19th birthday, Michael Peter Murray of Hillsdale already had a criminal record that would have taken most people a lifetime to achieve.

As a juvenile, Murray committed eight misdemeanors. He committed five felonies as an adult. In Hillsdale County Circuit Court Monday, Judge Michael Smith took action to make sure it would be a long time before Murray adds to his criminal resume.

“You’re building yourself a rather formidable record, Mr. Murray. There’s no reason to continue you on probation,” Smith said.

Murray showed little emotion during sentencing Monday while receiving a sentence of 42 years in prison after being convicted by a jury in March of one count of armed robbery and one count of felony firearms. Smith handed down the sentence after reading the laundry list of crimes committed by Murray since 2009.

“There is no rehabilitation for you at this point, Mr. Murray. You do what you want, when you want,” Smith said. “You just laugh at the court. You have no intention of obeying the court or complying with the law.”

Murray was convicted on March 26 by a jury after refusing to accept a plea bargain involving a robbery that occurred on Nov. 30 last year. Murray, along with Jill Carter and Eric Benson, was arrested when the group robbed a man at his Hillsdale apartment after shooting heroin with him. After getting high, Benson and Murray decided to rob the man with a pair of guns that Murray took from his father.

At one point during the attempted robbery, Murray held a gun to Carter’s head and she pretended to be scared, hoping to convince the man to give up whatever drugs or money he had left. When the man was unable to produce either, the trio left the home. They were arrested later that evening.

“There is absolutely no reason for you and your cohorts to do what you did,” Smith said.

In February, Benson was sentenced to a minimum of five years in prison and up to 17 for his role in the robbery. Carter was sentenced in March to up to five years in prison as an accessory to the crime.

Prior to sentencing, Murray’s lawyer Juanita Hoffman said she believed her client was in need of rehabilitation through incarceration, but that he should receive the lowest possible sentence so that he could be productive with his life. She also argued that Murray was not the ringleader in the crime and that Carter masterminded the whole plan.

“He is a young man and one would hope that an incarceration would substantially reform him,” Hoffman said. “I believe he can be reformed.”

“With all due respect, the record is overwhelming that that Mr. Murray was the leader,” Smith responded, adding that the guns and car used in the robbery were stolen by Murray from his parents.

Murray will serve at least 25 years in prison for the armed robbery conviction. He was also convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, one count of felony firearms and one count of weapons possession by a felon. Murray was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the conspiracy charge, but that runs concurrent with the armed robbery sentence. The felony firearms charge carries a two-year sentence that must be served before the 25-year sentence can begin, meaning Murray will spend at least 27 years in prison and up to 42 years.

Prior to sentencing for those charges, Smith sentenced Murray for violating the terms of his probation stemming from two prior felonies. Murray was on probation for two charges, one count of illegal sale/use of a financial transaction device and one count of breaking and entering of a building with intent.For violating his probation, Murray was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but that sentence will also run concurrent to the 25-year sentence for armed robbery.